


Umi e Ikimashou! (Let’s Go To The Beach!)

by aegicheezu



Category: Onmyouji | The Yin-Yang Master (Movies)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post-Canon, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 20:35:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19875694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aegicheezu/pseuds/aegicheezu
Summary: Hiromasa and Seimei sneak off to the seaside on the pretext of visiting an old advisor of Seimei’s to study. Once safely out of the capital and away from the sideways glances of the Ministers of the Left and Right, the pair can finally exhale. Ever-curious, Hiromasa wonders why so many spirits are bound to the shoreline; indulging his lover, Seimei is only too happy to teach him something new.





	Umi e Ikimashou! (Let’s Go To The Beach!)

**Author's Note:**

> as ever, there are some characterizations I'm applying based on my interpretations of the two films:
> 
> \- Hiromasa is immortal like Seimei because Aone gave him her immortal life with the rite of taizanfukun in the first film  
> \- they can read each other's minds, as intimated in the end of the first film when Hiromasa "talks" to Seimei as he crosses the bridge in his carriage

The sun beat down on the palace grounds so harshly that even the emperor’s servants and guards tried their best to hide in the slivers of shade cast by the sloped roofs of the buildings – it was the eighth month, after all, and the height of summer.

The oppressive heat was not enough to deter Seimei and Hiromasa, however, who were protected by Seimei’s own talismans and took advantage of the deserted gardens to stroll together; occasionally allowing themselves the intimate delight of brushing their fingers against each other as they walked.

“The garden is so lovely,” Hiromasa commented softly, observing the vibrant flowers lining the little pond. “Despite this heat, the flowers stand so straight and proud. How pretty,” he turned toward Seimei. “Do you not think so?” he grinned.

Seimei’s eyes softened and he took Hiromasa’s chin in his hand, but stopped just short of kissing him then. “I think you’re prettier,” he whispered in reply.

Hiromasa sighed contentedly and closed his eyes for a moment, but was soon interrupted. Suddenly straightening his back and shaking his chin free from Seimei’s touch, he warned Seimei – _the Ministers are approaching_. Seimei turned swiftly and saw the Ministers approaching slowly on the path ahead; rolling his eyes, he replied, _I will get rid of them quickly, my love. Then, perhaps we might retire to your quarters?_

Hiromasa grinned. _Let us do just that, Seimei. I want nothing more than for you to strip me of these heavy robes._

“Ah, Seimei,” the Minister of the Right greeted the men, his sly smile dripping with insincerity. “And Lord Hiromasa,” he glanced at the Minister of the Left. “It seems where the one man goes, the other is duty-bound to follow,” he tittered into his sleeve, amused by his perceived slight on the pair.

“Ministers,” the men greeted them and bowed at once, able to play more genuine than the older men. “Though we would love to sit and marvel at the vibrancy of the Emperor’s flowers with you,” Seimei explained, placing himself in front of Hiromasa ever so slightly, “I’m afraid Lord Hiromasa and I must return to our work. The summer heat welcomes many restless spirits,” his eyes bore into the older men as if to say, _we have more important things to do than to stand here and suffer your poor company_.

“How fortunate we are,” the Minister of the Right bowed incredulously. “To be protected by such a formidable Onmyoji and his… _helpmate_.” Again, the old men tittered into their billowing sleeves like the ladies at court. Hiromasa’s back straightened at the slight, but he did not react.

Seimei, however, was just in the mood for a war of words, and felt like spooking the foolish old men; he leaned in imperceptibly closer to the ministers and indicated that he wanted them to lean in as well – once they were close enough, he narrowed his eyes and cupped a hand at his cheek. “With such blackness in your souls, I may not be able to save you, if a lonely spirit comes to visit…” he cautioned. “Looking for a body to keep it company, in this heat.” He watched in delight as the ministers slowly understood his subtle threat. “After all, it is the season for possessions, and who can say whether or not my… _helpmate_ and I would be able to rush to your aid in time?” He smiled, baring his beautiful teeth as though openly mocking the frightened ministers, who had been quite put in their place. “Come, Hiromasa,” his tone light and cheerful. “It is time we returned indoors; we have taken up enough of the minister’s time.” Both men bowed slightly in the direction of the stunned old men and they walked away, trying very hard indeed not to burst out laughing.

*

Finally, in the quiet of Hiromasa’s quarters and with a protective silencing charm made to prevent anyone from entering or overhearing them, Seimei groaned in frustration and hung his head.

“I cannot abide those foolish, useless men!” he rubbed the back of his neck, as though some great weight bothered him immensely. “How dare they speak so casually of you? You are the Emperor’s key advisor, even higher in rank than the ministers themselves. It’s infuriating!” He pressed his hands to his cheeks, trying to cool himself. “Hiromasa, how can you endure it every day?” he looked at the younger man, eyes tired and upset. Hiromasa sat down beside him and took his hand.

Sighing, he smiled a little despite everything. “You’re right, Seimei,” he soothed, “the ministers are indeed foolish, frustrating old men. It does sting, sometimes, but…” he smiled, and stroked his hand. “It means nothing to me,” he kissed Seimei’s cheek, tasting the thin layer of perfumed sweat that had formed in the heat. “Because we will outlive them both, in the end.” He took Seimei’s cheeks in his hands and kissed him softly. “How I hate to see those inept old men wound you so,” he cooed. “Perhaps we should rest, take some time away from the palace for a little while. You said it yourself; it is the season for lonely spirits, and you must keep your strength up.”

Seimei smiled. “We cannot slip away again on the pretext of needing spiritual rest, Hiromasa; the Emperor will wonder if we are unfit; too tired and weak to defend the capital,” he chastised lovingly, touched at Hiromasa’s concern. “Though…” he thought a moment, cocking his head to the side. “Perhaps if I said we must visit an old mentor of mine; for study, and counsel…”

“Surely the Emperor would agree to that,” Hiromasa squeezed Seimei’s hand. “And, far away from the capital, we can relax… perhaps, by the seaside? What say you, my love?” he held Seimei’s gaze and then rested his head against his shoulder. “It has been some years since I spent time by the water.”

Seimei smiled. “Then it’s decided,” he agreed. “Let us rest by the sea for a while. But first, we must convince the Emperor to let us go.”

*

They had gone to see the Emperor about to feed him their concocted story about needing to go and study with an old teacher of Seimei’s, but the Emperor saw right through their ruse; rather than reprimand the pair, he had been surprisingly understanding.

_“The heat makes old men incredibly rude, does it not?” the Emperor had grinned slyly, after the business of the monthly astrological report had been concluded.  
_ _“Majesty?” Seimei questioned.  
_ _“I have had to sit through yet another insipid complaint by the ministers of the Left and Right that I am showing the two of you far too much favor of late, Seimei.”  
_ _“Majesty, I humbly apolo---” Seimei bowed deeply, but the Emperor’s hand on his shoulder stopped him.  
_ _“They have been a thorn in my side for years, but to replace them simply because they frustrate me would be inauspicious, and the capital cannot afford any more ill omens.” The Emperor smiled warmly. “Now, what is it the two of you wanted to ask of me?”  
_ _“Actually, Highness,” Hiromasa spoke at last, “We would humbly ask for some time away; to the seaside, perhaps. The noblemen of the court grow short-tempered, and take much enjoyment in the sport of insulting Seimei,” he lowered his eyes. “And myself.”  
_ _The Emperor understood almost immediately what Hiromasa was intimating, and clapped a supportive hand on both men’s shoulders. “I have heard rumors,” he admitted softly. “But I do not pay them any mind. However, I will happily grant you leave for a few days, weeks if you ask it. Would that I might get away myself, for a few days,” he smiled then, almost jealous of the two men’s freedom. “I have not been by the sea in many years, myself.”_

A week later, and all worries about handling the snide remarks of the elderly ministers of the Left and Right were whisked away with the crashing of waves on the warm beaches at Takahama. Having settled into their rented rooms at the inn quite comfortably, and so far away from any of the court’s noblemen, Seimei and Hiromasa had by now grown accustomed to more simple clothing of the countryside and speaking informally with each other and the seaside vendors.

For the first time in many years, Seimei felt as though he were able to breathe deeply. Though he would never admit it publicly, sometimes he did curse the fact that he, and now of course, Hiromasa, were forever bound to protect the capital. He often wondered whether he might be able to escape that fate – surely, might not the gods be swayed to pass that duty on to someone else, in time? He felt the warm sand underfoot and wiggled his toes like a child, and tilted his face up to the sun. Hiromasa was crouched beside him, moving his hand around the sand under the water, marvelling at the pretty shells he found.

“How like a child you are,” Seimei grinned, and knelt down to meet him. “Playing in the sand like a young boy.”

Hiromasa laughed. “And you,” he replied, flashing his pretty white teeth, “you look like a minor sun god, with your skin beginning to darken in this summer sun.” His own skin, already an uncommonly dark tone, was beginning to deepen with every day spent in the sun as well.

“Hiromasa, you’re so very cavalier with your words,” Seimei teased. “What if someone overheard your flirtations?”

Hiromasa laughed out loud at the tease. “The waves wash against the sand here so forcefully, Seimei,” he dipped his hands below the water again. “There is no danger of being overheard,” he glanced around him once, to ensure they were far enough away from anyone else. “We are quite safe.”

Seimei smiled, and leaned in closer, their shoulders touching as they crouched together on the sand. “Then, Hiromasa,” his voice deep and sonorous, “shall I tell you how beautiful you look?”

Hiromasa resisted the urge to kiss him then, and instead bumped his shoulder softly. “Surely I am not as beautiful as you,” he replied. “For you are the one with divine blood running through your veins, not I.”

The men shared a soft, knowing laughter.

*

By the time the sun began to set, the shoreline had grown rather deserted – even the vendors who spent much of the day along the rocky dunes had packed up, and Seimei and Hiromasa found themselves quite alone at last. The setting sun stained the sky a brilliant shade of pink, and the pair could not help but feel a sense of quiet peace wash over them like the crashing waves kissing the shore.

“Shall we go for a dusk swim, Seimei?” Hiromasa asked, playing with a strand of his long black hair, loosened from its tie by the wind. “Everyone else seems to have gone home.”

Seimei chuckled softly. “Are you not afraid of the spirits that live in the water, Hiromasa?” He drew characters in the sand with a delicate finger. “Umibōzu come out at night, you know.”

At that, Hiromasa laughed and stretched his legs where he sat, amused by Seimei’s comment. “I never believed in those old sailor’s stories,” he admitted. “I know that restless spirits are called to the sea, but…” he scanned Seimei’s expression, which had grown serious. “Seimei, are the stories of capsized ships and hollow barrows true?”

Seimei nodded, and lolled his head back against his shoulders as he watched the clouds drift across the bright pink sky. “Umibōzu are the souls that have been lost at sea,” he explained, his voice calm and measured, the way he always began his stories. “When seamen have the misfortune of dying on their ships or being thrown overboard, either by a cruel captain or by the tossing waves, their spirits remain suspended here; they were robbed of a proper burial, robbed of the correct funeral prayers and rites. So, their poor souls mete out revenge on those who swim out to see, or who travel across her in a boat.”

“But Seimei,” Hiromasa wondered aloud, “why are they called umibōzu? Is it only the souls of monks who torment sailors?” His voice had affected almost a childlike curiosity, and it made Seimei smile. Though it had been years now that the court noble had stood by his side, it seemed that he never tired of asking questions. And of course, Seimei never tired of answering them. 

“While it’s true that the spirits that live at sea are not all priests, it was the sailors that began to call them that – because according to them, the spirits manifest in an almost beatific, saintly form, despite their ferocity: a large, bald head, with black tentacles or fins, a thousand-toothed grin, and smiling eyes,” he leaned in closer to Hiromasa and wiggled his eyebrows. “Are you sure you want to go for a nighttime swim, and risk it?” In the waning daylight, Seimei’s sharp features seemed to bring out his kitsune blood just that little bit more; and it made Hiromasa smile at his beauty. Hiromasa looked around them once more before confirming that they were indeed alone before pressing a chaste kiss to his lips as an answer. 

“With you by my side, I know I have nothing to fear,” he replied at last. “But,” he smiled against the other man’s lips, “I think we can find other ways to spend our evening, what say you, my love?” he kissed him again, emboldened by their solitude on the expansive beach.

“Come then, Hiromasa,” Seimei pulled him up and snaked an arm around his slim waist. “Let us retire to our rooms and gaze at the moon.” He rested his chin against Hiromasa’s shoulder. “Isn’t it beautiful tonight?”

Hiromasa turned his eyes skyward, and smiled. “Yes, the moon is beautiful tonight,” he agreed. “But not as beautiful as you.”

Seimei kissed Hiromasa’s cheek. “Always the poet, my beloved Hiromasa,” he smiled. “Come along, my love. The night is young, and I have so very many spells I wish to write on your beautiful skin with my lips.”

Another kiss, and the moon shone brightly on the lovers, bathing them in sainted silver light.


End file.
